Indexing mechanism



April 5 1960 A. CLAUD-MANTLE 2,933,954

INDEXING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6, 1956 I. ii

INVENTOR. ARTHUR ELAUD-MANTLE BY {z 44m ATTURNEK April 1960 A.CLAUD-MANTLE 2,933,954

INDEXING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ARTE UR ELAUD-MANTLE um- AT TURNEYT 1 the table of a press;

2,933,954 INDEXING MECHANISM 7 Arthur Gland-Mantle, Trumbull, Conm;Gladys Claud- Mantle admini atrix of said Arthur Claud-Mantle, deceasedApplication November 6, 1956, Serial No. 629,629

Claims. (Cl. 74-820) The present invention relates to an indexingmechanism, particularly for installation in various types of ma:

chine tools as, for instance, metal drawing and forming presses,drilling and tapping machines, etc., an object being to provide anindexing mechanism having a high degree of accuracy and in which thereare a minimum of moving parts subject to wear or misalignment.

A further object is to provide a dialing mechanism adapted to impartintermittent fractional movement to a dial of relatively large diameter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent froma consideration of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanymg drawings wherein a satisfactoryembodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be under.- stoodthat the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includesall such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: I t Fig. 1 is a plan view of an indexing mechanismaccordmg to the invention, the same being shown mounted upon 2 is a sideelevation as seen fromthe left in Fig. 3 is a view partially in sideelevation and partially in section taken along the line 33 of Fig. l;

I Flg. 4 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing the dialoperating cam of the invention in its relatron w th the dial pins at thebeginning of an indexing operation;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of seen in Fig. 4;

' Fig. 6 is an end view in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the cam as seen from the right in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 4, and showmg the cam movedthrough a partial revolution to the polnt where the indexing movement ofthe dial is completed. 1

Referring to the drawings, the indexing mechanism, according to theillustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a baseframe 10 provided with a forward pedestal part 11 having a bearingmounting clamp portion of split collar type 12, adapted to be clamped bya screw 13 mounted in the forward wall of the pedestal part, and whichsecures a ball bearing unit 14 which the vertical post 15 of thecircular dial plate 16 1s secured. The frame is provided along each sidewith an outwardly extending flange 17 for attachment to the table 18 ofthe press or other suitable machine by means of screws 19, theparticular machine partially illustrated being provided with a verticalcolumn or post 20 which may mount any suitable machine mechanism as, forinstance, the head of a drilling and tapping press or the like.

A pair of side arms 21 and 22 extend rearwardly from the cam in theposition as of the cam as seen from the left end to the groove 47.

Patented Apr. 26, 1960 the pedestal part 11 and are connected by aweb-like platform 23 rearwardly spaced from the dial and upon whichcertain parts of the mechanism, hereinafter more fully described, aremounted. Intermediate the ends of the respective arms 21 and 22 thereare provided split collar bearing mounting portions 24 and 25, in whichbearing bushings 26 and 27 are clamped by tightening of clamping screws28and 29, a horizontal cam shaft 30 being journaled in these bushings.The shaft 30 is adapted to be continuously driven during operation ofthe mechanism, and for this purpose is provided upon one end with asprocket gear 31 connected -by a sprocket chain 32 to a sprocket gear 33provided upon the shaft 34 of a' reduction gear type electric motor 35'mounted upon a platform 36, this platform being mounted for angularadjustment upon the end of'the arm 21by means of a shaft 37 secured atits respective ends in a clamping sleeve 38 of the arm 21 and a clampingsleeve 39 projecting rearwardly from the plate 36, this arrangementpermitting convenient engagement or disengagement of the sprocket chainand the desired degree of tension to be applied to the sprocket chain.

The mechanism illustrated is adapted to impart eighteen successivefractional movements to the dial for each revolution of the dial, andfor this purpose is provided at its periphery with eighteen equallyspaced radially extending pins 40 of circular cross section. Obviously,

any number of pins may be provided, depending upon the desired number ofindexing movements required for a particular operation. The axis of thecam shaft 30 is in the same horizontal plane as the axes of the pins 40and in any one position of movement of thedial a pin is disposed withits axis at right angles to the axis ofthe cam shaft, for a purposepresently to more fully appear.

Upon the cam shaft there is secured an indexing cam 41 consisting of abody part 42, a reduced diameter spacing washer 43 and a circular plate44, the three parts being positioned by a dowel 45 and secured by screws46, the diameter of the plate being equal to the diameter of the innerend of the body and forming therewith .a circular groove 47 having awidth substantially corresponding to the diameter of the dial pins 40for slidingengagement of the pins therein, and whereby the dial islocked against movement during a part of the rotation of the cam. Thecam is fixed to the shaft 30 by a set screw 48.

In the cam illustrated by way of example, the part of its revolutionduring which it locks the dial is substantially seven-eighths, while thepart of its revolution. during which it moves the dial is substantiallyone-eighth. In this one-eighth part of the cam the body portion 42 isprovided with a spiral slot 49, arranged in substantial concentricity tothe periphery of the dial, and which extends from the groove 47 alongthe side of the body portion and into an extension portion 50 where theend of the slot is open in the direction of rotation of the cam toreceive the successive pin to the pin engaged in the groove 47. Theperiphery of the body 42 and the extension portion 50 aresubstantially.concentricto the curvatureof the periphery of the dial 16,so that as the slot comes into engagement with the pin the lattermovesin'a concentric path through the slot from its entrance At the sametime, the pin which has been locked in the groove 47 is allowed to moveout of the groove, and for this purpose the plate 44 is provided with agate, opening 51 having its side walls disposed as a spiral inhorizontal line with the starting portion of the spiral formation of theslot 49, so' that as the succeeding pin starts its movement through theslot the pin that has been locked in the groove 47 moves out of thegroove through the gate opening 51.

The cam is maintained in exact alignment with the axis of the dial bymeans of a plate 52 mounted upon a block portion 53 of the platform 23by means of screws 54, the width of the plate substantiallycorresponding to the width of the groove so that it has a sliding fittherein.

As shown clearly in Figs. 4-8, the spiral slot 49, as well as the gateopening 51, are generated so that their upper and lower surfaces are inparallel line contact with the pins as the latter travel therethrough,and due to the inclination of the slot and gate opening relative to thehorizontal plane in which the pins move, the points of engagement of thewall surfaces of the slot and the gate opening with the pins are atpoints removed from the horizontally opposite surfaces of the pins.Thus, there is no wear upon these horizontally opposite surfaces and thepins will at all times fit perfectly within the locking groove 47 toprevent any looseness of the dial during its stationary periods.

In order to synchronize associated mechanisms with the indexingmechanism the cam shaft 30 may have suitable cams mounted thereon. Twosuch cams 55 and 56 are illustrated by way of example, and the cam 56has a rocker arm 57 associated therewith, this rocker arm being providedin its hub end with a shaft 58 pivoted in a bearing portion 59 at therearward end of the frame arm 22. A spring 60 presses a roller 61 intocontact with the cam and at the end of the arm 57 there is pivotallyconnected a rod 62 for connection to a mechanism (not shown) to beactuated thereby.

In the event that the horizontally opposite side surfaces of the pinsbecome worn to the point where they result in looseness in theirengagement in the groove 47, the three part construction of the campermits of convenient andinexpensive adjustment of the cam to com:

pensate for such looseness, it being only necessary to either replacethe washer 43 by one having a thickness dimension to substantiallycorrespondto thehorizontal width of the worn pins, or to grind or milloff a surface of the washer to obtain the proper dimensional fit.

While in the foregoing description the direction of indexing of the dialis clockwise and the direction of rotation of the cam is clockwise, asseen in Fig. 7, it is pointedout that the dial may be indexed incounterclockwise direction by reversing the direction of rotation of thecam. In this case the extension portion 50 has a spiral cam surface 63at its side opposite the slot 49, which initiates indexing movement ofthe dial by contacting the left hand pin 40, as seen, for instance, inFig.8, causing the pin 40 disposed in the groove 47', which at thatpoint is at the right hand end of the slot 49, to enter the slot 49 andthereupon be moved thereby to the left, the pin 40 shown at the right inFig. 8 passing through the opening 51 and entering the groove 47 at thesame time that the pin in the slot 49 completes its movementtherethrough.

It is pointed out that while the slot 49 and the opening 51 areillustrated as having a substantially close fit with the pins passingtherethrough, such close fit is not essential, but there may besubstantial looseness as only one side wall of the slot is in pressingengagement with the pin during its movement therethrough, and there isno necessity for contact of the side walls of the opening 51 with thepin passing therethrough.

What is claimed is:

1. 'In an indexing mechanism, 'a base frame, 'a dial rotatable about acentralvertical axis fixed with respect to said base frame, acircumferential series of equally spaced uniform diameter cylindricalpins carried by said dial having their outer ends disposed in acircumferential path of movement, their axes being radial to saidvertical axis and coincident to a horizontal plane of rotation normal tosaid vertical axis, a cam rotatable about a horizontal axis fixed withrespect to said base frame and coincident to said horizontal plane ofrotation, said cam having a circumferentially continuous grooveintersected by said circumferential path of movement of said outer endsof said pins and having a central vertical plane of rotation normal tosaid horizontal axis and radial to said vertical axis, said groovehaving inner and outer parallel walls in fixed spaced relation to eachother and spaced apart a distance corresponding to the diameter of saidpins, whereby said walls are respectively engageable by opposite sidesof one of said pins with the axis of said engaged pin coincident to saidvertical plane of rotation, .said cam having a spiral slot having anentrance end open for engagement by the successive pin to thepin engagedin said groove and having an exit end in said inner wall opening to saidgroove whereby through rotation of said cam said successive pin movesthrough said slot and into said groove, said outer wall of said groovehaving an opening in substantial horizontal alignment with the entranceend of said slot through which a pin engaged in said groove moves out ofsaid groove simultaneously with the initial movement of the successivepin through asid spiral slot, and a cam aligning member fixed withrespect to said base frame and disposed within said circumferentiallycontinuous groove in engagement with said inner and outer walls thereofto restrain horizontal axial movement of said camv 2 The indexingmechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein the said slot has opposed sidewalls, the surfaces of which are generated to engage opposite sides of apin moving therethrough along lines parallel to the axis of said pin,said opposite sides being removed from the opposite sides engageablewith the walls of said groove.

3. The indexing mechanism as defined in claim 1,

wherein said opening of said outer wall of said groove is of spiral formsubstantially corresponding in pitch to the pitch of said spiral slot.

4. The indexing mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said camcomprises a rigid body part, a rigid plate part spaced therefrom and arigid washer part interposed between said body part and said plate part,the opposed walls of said body and plate parts and the periphery of saidwasher part defining said circumferentially continuous groove. I

5. The indexing mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said cam has aspiral cam surface in spaced rel'ation to said spiral slot adaptedthrough reverse rotation of said cam to engage one of said pins toinitiate indexing movement of said pin engaged in said groove throughsaid slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,031,764 Wright July 9, 1912 1,876,388 Bethune Sept. 6, 1932 1,920,969Carpenter Aug. 8, 1933 2,596,581 Mercier May 1-3, 1952

